Assigwob to the



Nov. '15, 1927.

T. P. LITTLE WIND-UP DEVICE FOR SHEET RUBBER STOCK Filed Sept. 18, 1925 I -2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

A RNE Y.

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS P. LITTLE, OF CEICOPEE FALLS. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FISK RUBBER COMPANY, OF CI-IICOPEE FALLS, MALSELEIIUSETTS. A COBIOBATIOIT OF MASSACHUSETTS.

\VIND-UP DEVICE FOR SHEET-RUBBER STOCK.

Application filed September 18, 1925.

My present invention relates to a device for winning up sheet rubber stock, such for instance as a sheet of rubber formed on a calender of the usual type. It has for its object the provision of a wind-up device of this character by means of which the stock may be quickly and accurately wound up between turns of a cloth liner, and by means of which the completed roll may be quickly removed from the device and the device prepared for the winding of a new roll. Other and further objects will appear from the following description and from the claims. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wind-up device in which four units built in accordance with my present invention are incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a front view of certain of the units;

Fig. 3 is a detail, partly broken away, showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the wind-up rolls, looking on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a part of this mechanism, the hand wheel shown in Fig. 3 being removed; and

Fig. 5 is a detail taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The sheet rubber stock 10 is led to the wind-up apparatus upon a belt 12. In the case shown this belt is wide enough to carry two rubber strips side by side, in conse quence the wind-up devices are made in two sets. In order to keep the winding operation continuous each of these sets includes two similar units, one of which acts while a completed roll is being removed from the other. As all of these four units are similar to each other a description of one will suffice for all.

Each of the units is carried in a frame 13 having trolley wheels 1 1 which run on rails 15 attached to a suitable framework 16. Mounted in each frame 13 is a vertical slide 17 formed on one side as a. rack 18. The bottom of this slide carries the actual wind-up roll 19 in a hook-like formation 20. The

rack 18 meshes with a pinion 21 (Fig. 3) mounted on a shaft 22 journaled in the frame 13 and carrying at one end a hand wheel 23 so that the'rack, and consequently the windup roll, may be raised or lowered at will. In order to keep the wind-up roll at the Serial No. 57.243.

height desired the shaft 22 is fitted with a ratchet 2st meshing with a pawl 25 on the frame.

A bracket 26 (Fig. 1) extending sideways from the frame 13 ends in a supporting notch for the shaft 27 of a roll carrying liner material. A bracket clamp 28, which can be tightened by a thumbscrew 29, serves to exert such tension as may be desired upon the liner.

In order to prevent side sway of the frame 13 it is provided with rollers 30 (Fig. 1) which bear on rails 31 carried on the framework 16. The rails 15 may extend out to one side of the device beyond the rest of the framework 16 and beyond the rails 31. In consequence of this the latter may be formed flaring at their ends as shown at 32 in Fig. 5. This will permit the frame 13 to be pushed quickly back into a position overlying the belt, without any necessity for accurate positioning of the parts.

The operation of the device may now be described. A liner roll 33 is first mounted on the notch at the ends of the bracket 26, and the liner 34 led around the shaft of the windup roll which has been placed in the hooks 20. At this period the racks 18 are held by the ratchet 24 in the upper position so that the wind-up roll will clear the belt. When the device is to be started in operation the pawl 25 is released by means of its handle 35, and the wind'up roll allowed to descend into contact with the belt. The end of the rubber sheet is started around the roll, and he weight of the roll resting on the stock will cause the roll to turn and the stock to be wound up. The hook-like formation of the end of the racks permits the shaft of the roll to move slightly as the thickness of the material on the roll increases. In order to keep the shaft always guided by the hooks it is necessary at times to raise the racks slightly. This will appear clearer by comparing the roll at the right in Fig. 1 with the roll at the left. The rack will be held in position as it is moved up by the ratchet.

(hen the roll is complete the rubber strip is cut and started around the other wind-up roll of the pair, which in the meantime has been made ready. The frame 13, carrying the full roll, is now moved sideways out of the range of the belt, the full roll replaced by an empty one, and the empty liner spool replaced by a full one. The frame may now be slid back into its position overlying the belt in readiness for the completion of the other roll 01' the pair.

Having; thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A Windnp device comprising a belt, a pair of wind-up rolls arranged in line with each other for use alternately in winding up a single strip of stock on the belt, and means for positioningthe rolls individually either in contact with the belt for winding or elevated above the belt in an inactive position.

2. A Wind-up device comprising a belt on which the stock to be wound up is led, a pair of winding units each slidably laterally out of operative relation to the belt, a wind-up roll on each unit adapted to rest in contact With the belt, and means for raising each of the rolls independently of the other so as to free it from contact with the belt.

3. In. combination, a stock-carrying belt, a pair of trackways arranged laterally over the belt, a carriage mounted for lateral movement on each traekway, a Wind-up roll carried by each carriage, and means 011 each carriage for raising and holding inraised position the wind-up roll mounted thereon.

4. In combination, a stock-carrying belt, a pair of trackways arranged laterally over the belt, a carriage mounted on each of the traclrways, a wind-up roll mounted on each of the traclrways, a wind-up roll mounted on each carriage and adapted to bear on the stock resting on the belt, a liner supply roll also carried by eachcarriage, and means on each carriage for raising clear of the belt the wind-up roll carried thereby.

THOMAS P; LITTLE. 

